Sunday, September 7, 2008

Saturday, September 6, 2008

My aunt just called. She asked whether we did our chanting. I lied that we did. How do I explain that I'm not keen on committing to a religion just yet? She won't get off our backs if I said no. Chanting is not what I need to do now. It's kneeling on the ground and praying that I won't be sent to hell for committing the heinous sin of lying. Forgiveness and mercy. Amen.

PS. I finally got my new glasses! The shop attendant seemed slightly amazed that I had my old pair for five years.

Took a break from school work to do this post. It's such a pity that I'm so busy as Tokyo and New York fashion weeks are going on now! The Somarta Spring/Summer 2009 collection particularly caught my eye:

It's freaking cool! I love it! Love the construction, the silhouettes, the palette, the cool headgear, and last but not least the surreal set. Those large-scale projections that serve as the background are so ethereal and beautiful. I see some reference to human anatomy in this collection. The white knit dress is the most literal. The wiring of some other dresses creates a kind of skeleton for the fabric to hang on to. Creepy but cool. Love love love.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Watched the Hana Yori Dango movie today. Definitely not as nice as the drama series! So this is a post about my favourite Japanese drama serials, which include Hana Yori Dango, Love Generation, Nodame Cantabile, and Gokusen.

Hana Yori Dango

What makes this series so impactful for me are its compelling central characters, Makino and Doumyouji. I love the second season more than the first because of the sadness prevalent in it and the strong mood of some scenes. It has some memorable songs too.

Favourite moments/classic scenes: Makino punching Doumyouji, their kiss at the end of season 1, the "suki jiro" moment, the scene in the rain outside Doumyouji's house in season 2, Doumyouji returning the necklace to Makino after saving her from the snow, and many others.

Love GenerationNot many people may know about this drama because it is relatively old. I like it because it feels very real and the setting in Tokyo gives it a very distinctive feel. The soundtrack is wonderful.

Favourite moments/classic scenes: Riko performing the magic show for Teppei ("Shya lalalalala..."), the night scene where she falls off the fence and is caught by Teppei ("when there's someone I like..."), some woman (can't remember her name) writing "sayounara" in marker on Soichiro's shirt, Teppei declaring his love for Riko on the outdoor electronic board etc.

Nodame CantabileThe quirkiness of the story and the characters makes it attractive. I like the music theme too! Also, the lack of a conventional love story sets it apart from other dramas.

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Another full day of doing art coursework today. It's the last few weeks and I'm absolutely TERRIFIED that I won't be able to finish or do a good job. I still need to do my IS and Japanese coursework! Plus I need to prepare for my actual A level Japanese oral exam which is on October 2. Prelim results are the least of my worries now. I wonder what possessed me to take such taxing subjects. But they are the ones I really want to take. Reflecting on it now, I don't think I'd have done any different, except to not take maths so that I'll have more time. My sis is being a goddess now, offering me support and encouragement. That, and my personal will, is the only thing that's stopping me from breaking down. And breakdowns aren't uncommon. My friend in AEP in Nanyang JC told me that a few of her classmates broke down because of the stress from doing coursework. I know the best thing to do now is to keep calm and stay upbeat and focused.

My brother's going to New York next week. I'm trying hard not to be envious. There's so much shopping one can do there! Visit Target, Steve Madden, Nine West, American Apparel, flea markets, vintage stores, thrift shops, factory outlets. I think there are some great restaurants there as well and a variety of cuisines to try. Plus there are famous landmarks to see such as Times Square, the Empire State building etc. Okay. I'm envious already! I might not get a holiday at the end of this year because we need the money to pay for our university education next year. My mum says it's really taxing on our finances to have two children enter university at the same time. Besides, my second brother, because of National Service, had his university education delayed hence is still in university now. That equals to supporting three children in university! No wonder people in Singapore don't want to have children. It really drains one's wealth. I think if the government wants to encourage people to have more children then they should support bigger families like us. Thank goodness my eldest brother is working already.

This year seems to be an auspicious year. My brother has five weddings in total to attend at the end of the year. Not his own, unfortunately.

What with the yoghurt fad and yoghurt stalls springing up everywhere, there's no better time to enjoy this healthy snack. My favourite is Yami Yoghurt at the Junction 8 food basement. The plain, peach and soursop flavours are all pretty good. Top it off with fruits or muesli and you're good to go. That sounded like an advertisement. But it really has that delightful sour yoghurt taste that's not too overpowering and makes you keep eating. My sis who doesn't like regular yoghurt likes it very much. I think it's the perfect thing to eat on a hot day. The only thing I'm complaining about is the price. It's $2.30++ for a regular cup with toppings. Also, I think it tastes better in more 'pure' flavours rather than blueberry or strawberry for example. The flavours are on rotation so you can try different flavours on each visit, an activity that has proven to be addictive :) .